Urinary levels of organophosphate flame retardants metabolites in a young population from Southern Taiwan and potential health effects

Feng-Shun Chen; Chih-Cheng Chen; Ching-Chang Tsai; Jian-He Lu; Huey-Ling You; Ching-Mei Chen; Wan-Ting Huang; Kai-Fan Tsai; Fu-Jen Cheng; Chia-Te Kung; Shau-Hsuan Li; Chin-Chou Wang; Yu-Che Ou; Wen-Chin Lee; Yu-Ting Chang; Fahimah Hashim; How-Ran Chao; Liang-Jen Wang

doi:10.3389/fendo.2023.1173449

Urinary levels of organophosphate flame retardants metabolites in a young population from Southern Taiwan and potential health effects

Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Jun 2:14:1173449. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1173449. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Feng-Shun Chen¹, Chih-Cheng Chen^{1

2}, Ching-Chang Tsai³, Jian-He Lu⁴, Huey-Ling You⁵, Ching-Mei Chen⁵, Wan-Ting Huang⁵, Kai-Fan Tsai⁶, Fu-Jen Cheng⁷, Chia-Te Kung⁷, Shau-Hsuan Li⁸, Chin-Chou Wang⁹, Yu-Che Ou³, Wen-Chin Lee⁶, Yu-Ting Chang³, Fahimah Hashim¹⁰, How-Ran Chao^{4

11}, Liang-Jen Wang¹²

Affiliations

¹ Section of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
² Department of Early Childhood Care and Education, Cheng-Shiu University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
³ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, College of Engineering, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Neipu, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁶ Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁷ Department of Emergency Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁸ Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁹ Department of Occupational Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
¹⁰ Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.
¹¹ Institute of Food Safety Management, College of Agriculture, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan.
¹² Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Abstract

Background: Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) are widely distributed in the environment and their metabolites are observed in urine, but little is known regarding OPFRs in a broad-spectrum young population from newborns to those aged 18 years.

Objectives: Investigate urinary levels of OPFRs and OPFR metabolites in Taiwanese infants, young children, schoolchildren, and adolescents within the general population.

Methods: Different age groups of subjects (n=136) were recruited from southern Taiwan to detect 10 OPFR metabolites in urine samples. Associations between urinary OPFRs and their corresponding metabolites and potential health status were also examined.

Results: The mean level of urinary Σ₁₀ OPFR in this broad-spectrum young population is 2.25 μg/L (standard deviation (SD) of 1.91 μg/L). Σ₁₀ OPFR metabolites in urine are 3.25 ± 2.84, 3.06 ± 2.21, 1.75 ± 1.10, and 2.32 ± 2.29 μg/L in the age groups comprising of newborns, 1-5 year-olds, 6-10 year-olds, and 11-18 year-olds, respectively, and borderline significant differences were found in the different age groups (p=0.125). The OPFR metabolites of TCEP, BCEP, DPHP, TBEP, DBEP, and BDCPP predominate in urine and comprise more than 90% of the total. TBEP was highly correlated with DBEP in this population (r=0.845, p<0.001). The estimated daily intake (EDI) of Σ₅OPFRs (TDCPP, TCEP, TBEP, TNBP, and TPHP) was 2,230, 461, 130, and 184 ng/kg bw/day for newborns, 1-5 yr children, 6-10 yr children, and 11-17 yr adolescents, respectively. The EDI of Σ₅OPFRs for newborns was 4.83-17.2 times higher than the other age groups. Urinary OPFR metabolites are significantly correlated with birth length and chest circumference in newborns.

Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first investigation of urinary OPFR metabolite levels in a broad-spectrum young population. There tended to be higher exposure rates in both newborns and pre-schoolers, though little is known about their exposure levels or factors leading to exposure in the young population. Further studies should clarify the exposure levels and factor relationships.

Keywords: OPFR metabolites; a broad-spectrum pediatric population; hazardous chemicals; newborn; organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs); urine.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Child
Child, Preschool
Flame Retardants*
Health Status
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Organophosphates* / metabolism
Taiwan / epidemiology

Substances

Organophosphates
Flame Retardants
tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Research Project (CMRPG8K1281).